Thursday, February 12, 2015

Writing about your fear's pros and cons

Cowardice, dread, trepidation, apprehension, worry, anxiety—they
can hinder our potential and rob us of living a full life.

What-ifs can incapacitate us.

We don’t like to admit we’re afraid. We feel ashamed of
being anxious. We think that if we were better people, better Christians, we
wouldn’t have fears.

But fear is a curious thing. Sometimes fear is a friend, a guide.

Fear can alert us to potential danger. It gives us pause.

Fear can give us time—

time to take a careful look at what’s before us,

time to exercise discernment and discretion.

Fear can give us time to weigh our options

and understand what
we’re getting ourselves into

and make choices with wisdom and maturity.

Fear keeps us from recklessness

and from flinging ourselves into foolishness,

left to thrash around,

leaving us with regrets later.

Being paralyzed by fear can offer the gift of time—time to
count the cost. To prioritize life’s goals and heart’s desires. To commit to
being steadfast. (adapted from Oh God Don’t Make Me Go Don’t Make Me Go:
Winded and Scruffy and Brimming with Tales, copyright 2015 by Linda K. Thomas)

You have wrestled with pros and cons of fear

and dread and worry.

The question is:

How can you turn those experiences

into valuable lessons
for your kids

and grandkids—

and who knows how many future generations?

Be intentional. Make time to remember incidents in your
past. Choose to write at least one story for your memoir that will challenge your readers as they face
their own fears.

Outstanding, Sharon! It's so true that exploring our fears in writing can help us get past them. I have also found that writing my story helps me recognize how I survived fearful things in the past which in turn helps me be braver for the future.

Quoting and Linking

Grandma's Letters from Africa

All I ever wanted was to live a quiet, secure life in a little white house with a picket fence and a rose garden, but my husband Dave—a free spirit who seldom limits himself to coloring within other people’s lines—and our adventuresome God had other plans. Just when our youngest finished college, both Dave and God hollered, “Africa!” You can read about my adventures in Grandma’s Letters from Africa, by Linda K. Thomas.

Grandma’s Letters from Africa received Editor’s Choice, Rising Star, and Reader's Choice awards from the publisher. In addition, the book will soon be listed in the Barnes&Noble.com Special Collections Boutique.

What others are saying

Grandma’s Letters from Africa is an engaging, memorable account of Linda’s years in Africa. It was a privilege for me to read over the shoulders of her granddaughters as Linda tells her story through a series of letters. Through both laughter and tears, she learns to balance her roles as missionary, wife, mother, and grandmother. In the process, Linda falls in love with Africa, its people, and her work. Readers will be moved by this compelling story that reveals God’s heart and extraordinary grace. (Bob Creson, President/CEO, Wycliffe USA)

Read more endorsements, reviews, and follow Linda’s blog at http://grandmaslettersfromafrica.blogspot.com